FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 758 Winfield Circle Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 758 Winfield Circle Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 706 Fenwick Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 706 Fenwick Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 442 Fenwick Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 442 Fenwick Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 702 Balfour Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 702 Balfour Drive Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 622 Candleglo Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

FOR METRO - The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 622 Candleglo Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 710 Moorside Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

The City of Windcrest Light Up 2008 "A Gingerbread Christmas for Windcrest" home at 710 Moorside Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eornelas@express-news.net)

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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The grand champion - best of theme "White Christmas in Windcrest" decorated house is the Harris family house at 522 Tidecrest. Courtesy photo by Claire Sheppard.

The grand champion - best of theme "White Christmas in Windcrest" decorated house is the Harris family house at 522 Tidecrest. Courtesy photo by Claire Sheppard.

Photo: PHOTO COURTESY CLAIRE SHEPPARD

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An angel of lights dominates the 1st place home on Crestway St. in the Windcrest Light-up contest. Photo taken on 12-15-97 by MARC GARCIA

An angel of lights dominates the 1st place home on Crestway St. in the Windcrest Light-up contest. Photo taken on 12-15-97 by MARC GARCIA

Photo: MARC GARCIA, EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

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Windcrest residents prepare for Light-Up

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“The Colors Of The Season” is this year's theme for the 53rd annual Windcrest Light-Up, which begins Dec. 15 with an official welcoming ceremony at Windcrest City Hall.

Windcrest residents have been busy hanging thousands of lights, blowing up dozens of inflatable Christmas characters, and placing hundreds of wooden, plastic and Styrofoam lawn ornaments in preparation for the annual festival that draws thousands of enthusiastic visitors from around San Antonio, the state and nation to witness the lighting extravaganza.

Windcrest Light-Up is a decades-old tradition in which residents decorate their homes, yards, sidewalks and mailboxes with elaborate displays of holiday lights. For two weeks beginning with the Dec. 15 celebratory opening, the homes stay lit well into the night as lines of traffic twists and turns through the streets and cul-de-sacs, taking in the wondrous lights and decorations.

A contest is held to select the best entries in a number of categories: Elegant creation; Mailbox; Handcrafted; Entryway/window; Block or cul-de-sac; Joyful; Religious; and Creative lighting. Dec. 9 is the final date for Windcrest residents to enter the contest; judging will be done Dec. 12 and results will be announced at the Light-Up ceremony.

The event is made possible through the hard work of dozens of volunteers, the Windcrest Economic Development Corp., the Windcrest Fire and Police departments, and the Windcrest Women's Club.